Method of cleaning oil-wells



G. C. BELLIS.

METHOD OF CLEANING OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 13. 1919.

1,382,337. Patented June 21, 1921.

INVENTOR C. g @Wm, WPUA WITNESSES enonen c. BELLIS, or BUTLER, raNNsYLvAma, ASSIG-NOR or ONE-HALF 'ro THOMAS, H. BROWN,

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

mnrnon or canaivme OIL-WELLS.

ee-asst.

Specification otLetters Patent. Pate t d Ju 21 1921 Application fi1ed-March 13. 1919. Serial No. 282,479.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE C. Bennie, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butler, in the county 'ofButler and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useincrustation can readily be freed from the pores of the'well and from the pump and v removed by means of the pump.

It is well known to those familiar with the art, that a largenumber of oil wells after the have been pumped for a certain length 0 time become clogged by the paraflin wax and other heavy matter in the oil,

so that the flow of oil gradually diminishes, which is caused by the clogging up of the pores-pf the well, which clogging up holds back the flow of oil to the we 1.,

I have discovered that this incrustatlon I canreadily be removed by pouring a solvent into the well, and afterward flowing oil, water or any sulfable liquid .on the top'of the solvent to force the solvent againstv the walls of the well to loosen the wax. Afterthe solvent has been run into the well, I permit the solvent to stand a predetermined length of time andthen pump the solvent, togs therwith the freed material, from the wel The precise nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes may be made without departing'from the spirit and S00 e of my in+ vention as defined in the appen ed claims;

In the drawing I have illustrated somewhat diagrammatically 'in side elevation and partially in section, an oil well, an oil receiving tank, together. witha pumpwlthin the well. v

In this drawing the reference character 2 designates the wall of the well and 3-the cavity at the bottom thereof. 4 isthe outer or large casing, 5 the well casing, and 6 the pump tubing or barrel having the usual sucker rod 7 therein, which is actuated in the usual manner for pumpin the oil from thewelL The upper end oft e wellcasing 5 is sealed by means of the usual 8, and surrounds the pump tubing 6. The casmg'head 8 is provided with the usual "stuffing box 9 which surrounds the tubing 6 and forms a gas-tight joint at the up er end of the well. 10. is the oil tank to which tl18'\Ol.l. is pumped fromthe well and delivered throughthe pipe 11, and 12 is a pipe connecting the lower end of "the tank 10, with the casing head 8, so that oil may be casing head deliveredfrom the tank 10to the well on Y the outside of the tubing 6. This pipe 12 is provided with a valve l3'and a branch pipe 14 havmg a valve 15 therein. Connected to the upper end of the pipe 14 is a funnel 16 for the purpose hereinafter described. 17 s a gas off-take pipe connected-to the easmg head 8 for conveying the gas from the well to any suitable source.

- When it is desired to clean the well-the force the solvent against the walls of' the well and the Wall of the cavity 3. After a sufiicient amount of oil has passed to the well to form the proper head,'-the valve .13 is closed. The material is left standing in the well for a predetermined length of t1me, say forty-eight hours, or a sufiicient length of time to loosen the'wax and other incrust'ation.

6,; and immediately after the on'the. top of the solvent to act as a head to s After the. incrustation has been loosened the pump-is set into motion and all freed incrustatlon, together with the oil and solvent, are pumped into the tank, and after the material has been pumped from the well the valve 13 is again opened topermitthe combined solvent and oil to again rush into the well to rinse any freed particles from the wall's'of the well, which is again pumped back into the tank.

I have found in practice that one application of assolvent' is sufiicient to remove the incrustaltion from the'majority of wells,

above described may bellsed; I

" "I have also dis'covered that the application ot this solvent to' the, well-does not: only remove the incrustationof'wax, etc, from 'thewalls' of the well and the cavity but also cleans the pump tubing and the sucker rod. I By rneans' oftheabove method I am en- I -I abled to remove the I incrustation :froin the; I well am pm 'without'disconnecting' any of the parts'o thesap'p'aratu's." i in some cases,however,l 'havezfound: it advantageous to remove the sucker rod from the pump tubing, and pour I the solvent into I the i well through the interior i of the pump" tubing, and then pou'rin' the proper amount 'fromtheprovision.of amethod'forcleans I in wells, whereby Imamenabled to readily I f and; clearly remove the incrustation: from the pores of the' well and Ifromthe pump [I 1 without the use of; appliances other than I, those already inthe well, and; withoutfiringi f I I I I I the wellto tearup the walls ofthe cavity; I

,Iclaim: I I The I method ofcleaning oil wells, com- I I prising pouring asolution,containing a: causti'calkali free fromacid into the well, --permittingit toremain as. an alkali; within:

the Wellfor a sufficient time to loosen the I oil im edin deposits formed-onithewalls I;t. I thereo an thempumping the; solution,to'-. I I I 'gether withthe loosened material from the Well,substantiallyasdescrib d, I 2. The methodofcleamngoil:wells,zcom-; A

I II I of material on the 'to p'ot the solve'nt to tor'mi' ;g fii i nt headto force;thesolyentagainst:.P 1S ng'P 1 g ki linezso l ee I I I the walls of the well and cavity, and. after fromaoidiandcontainingsodium hydroxid. u I I I I I I I I I I I I :thematerial has been left in the well a s'ulfi-I aq s d m c r q 'inta w :ma n-- 1 1 I 1: I I I f I 1 I cie'nt length of time to :perfomn. Iits jfunction, It mmg t s tw Within t e. well: as an I 0 I i I I the sucke'r rod is again insertediand' the ma- 'alkaline solution,and; peI'mittlIlgIlt tQ m- 'f I ,In ixmainwithinthe well for'asuiiicienttime 3 I I have I ound that a suitable: solvent. can loosen the :oil' ,im eding deposits from the I 1 'be made'fromthefollowingformula: 'walls thereoflzan thenkpumping thesolw, I I 1 i 'I--i-- -.'=.-92%I diu hyd id by ei: ht, I 'I i t {31011 I together .With, the lOOSGIlBd material w: I I I 2%.sodium carbonate byweig ,fr m thew lLsu ta lya d be I I I t'erial pum .edfromthe well. I I T 2% oftungstite'by weight.=-*

' I take one hundred pounds of the above "materialsand mix it-dry, and thcnadd a proximately fiftfy. gallons of water to t e I terv the: material has been I thoroughly dissolved: it is ready to: be used 1 2% sodium sulfate by Weight. {I

material and a in'the manner above described.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that the'proportions of the above formula may be varied, and that some of the ingredients may be omitted, buthave discovered that when a solvent of this character is used that it is essential that the solvent contain at least sodium hydroxid and sodium carbonmiliar with the art that the amount of solvent required depends on the size of the cavity at the bottom of the well, while the number of applications required are depend- I ent upon the condition of the well.

The advantages of my invention result Themethod ofcleaning oilwellscoma I fprlsm 'POIIIIHg a solventfieeIfrom acid I :into =t ewel-l, adding thereto a uantity of 1.

liquidv of such specific I gravity pumping the solution and the loosened mascribed.

4. The method of cleaning oil wells, consisting of pouring a solution free from acid and containing a caustic alkali into the well, maintainin the solution Within the Well as an alkaline solution, adding thereto a liquid forming a head for forcing the solution into the pores of the well, permitting the solution andhead to remain within the well for a sufiicient time to loosen the oil impedin deposits formed on the walls thereof,

and t en pumping the solution and the loosened material together with the liquid forming the head from the well, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. L

GEORGE C. BELLIS.

at it will i forrna separate stratum above the; solvenhw A constituting a head for; gforcing the same I q I into the pores. of the; well, permittin the I I I I I solvent and, head to remain in the we l for a sufiicient time-to loosen-the oil impeding deposits from the walls thereof, and then 

